Vaḍukacchiyamma – A Sanskrit Graphic Novel Translated by Dr. Abhilāśa J.
Original Story: B. Prasad | Illustrations: Santosh Veliyannur
 
वटुकच्चियम्मा
 
Kerala’s deep-rooted yakṣīkathā traditions echo powerfully in Vaḍukacchiyamma, a poignant tale of love, sacrifice, and defiance, now brought into Sanskrit by Dr. Abhilāśa J., as part of the Live Sanskrit graphic novel initiative.
 
The story unfolds in Vaḍukarājyam, ruled by the mighty Kannadiyappeṟumāḷ. His daughter, Vaḍukacchiyamma, a woman of will and valor, falls deeply for Kulaśēkharaṉ, the ruler of Valliyūr—a subordinate state under the southern Paṇḍyas. While Kulaśēkharaṉ remains emotionally distant, Vaḍukacchiyamma’s love does not waver.
 
Her unshaken devotion leads to a bitter war when Kannadiyappeṟumāḷ attacks Valliyūr, seeking to secure his daughter’s desire. What follows is a tragic saga of fierce resistance, unyielding affection, and ultimate self-sacrifice.
 
This powerful narrative has been rendered into Sanskrit by Dr. Abhilāśa J., preserving its emotional and cultural richness. Through vivid illustrations by Santosh Veliyannur, the tale comes alive for a new generation of readers.
 
Vaḍukacchiyamma forms part of a unique series of five Sanskrit graphic novels—a rare publishing venture celebrating the untold stories of Kerala’s courageous heroines, embedded in the tekkan pāṭṭukaḷ (Southern ballads). These women, often feared as yakṣīs in folklore, are reimagined here as icons of virtue, strength, and dharma.
 
This book, and the series it belongs to, presents an alternate reading of Kerala's mythical women—not as terrors of the night, but as beacons of justice, whose death and rebirth become tools of divine retribution and spiritual legacy.
 
With Dr. Abhilāśa J.'s graceful Sanskrit translation, Vaḍukacchiyamma stands as a rare confluence of regional legend and classical expression, bridging oral tradition and scholastic language in a format both visually appealing and linguistically enriching.